We've gone to China to pick up our daughter! Now the adventure continues in Minnesota - and beyond!

Saturday, August 25, 2012

2012 Minnesota State Fair, First Visit, Part 2

Why "First Visit" in the title?

Well, now that we live only a few blocks away from the Fairgrounds, it'd be kind of silly to go there only once each year, yes? So when I picked up advance tickets, I got another set of passes so we can go back as a family again next weekend.

So we came home at lunchtime. Ann and I passed out - Wynn cooled off downstairs with some TV (but no nap.) I did some more work in the backyard in the mid-afternoon while the others took it easy inside - weeding & preparing a garden / walking path under the big pine tree. Ann & Wynn had a little dinner, and we headed back to the Fairgrounds at 6:00.

There was a good crowd even up on Machinery Hill - but hey, we've walked around in Hong Kong and this was nothing compared to that. Wynn wanted to check out the kids' farm exhibit, which was a bit young for her and she got bored. (She got a can of corn for a prize ... she could have picked Cheerios or a bag of potato chips, but she wanted a can of corn.)

We strolled around for a while - I had a Papa Pup for dinner - checked out some art, caught a bit of a concert, and headed back home at 9:30.

Cob 'o Corn Hat!

Building a Sand Volcano ... they have a giant sandbox set up near the 4-H building; it's a great 'chill-out' spot for kids & parents. Fenced off so that people don't wander through, tables & seating so that families can sit down and have a quiet picnic. Good thinking!

Wynn can get sand in her shoes like no other kid I've ever known...

The Kidway after dark ... it's so neat to see everything all lit up

We kept Wynn up late so she could see fireworks for the very first time! (Normally they shoot them off at 10:00, but last night delayed because the Alan Jackson concert went REALLY long ... was almost 11:00 by the time the sky show began)

And this is how big it looked right in our own backyard! Wynn was thrilled ... "this was the BEST day ever!"